Animated candle holder

ABSTRACT

A device is provided which translates the chemical energy released by the candles into a smooth movement of a platform floating within a pool of liquid and utilizing a virtual axle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Citations: US Patent Documents

-   U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,948 January 2007 J. Swearingen, T. Clark

Candles are used in many parts of the world for a variety of purposes including satisfying basic lighting needs and for decorative or religious purposes. Much of the recent development related to candles has been in the area of simulating candles with electrical and electronic systems and in adding movement to candle systems. This patent concerns itself with the latter.

A recent patent application (Ser. No. 10/829,656) by Nick Boulachanis disclosed a floating and rotating candle system. In this system a candle is floating within a bowl and the bowl is sitting atop a stand. The floating candle holder contains one or more magnets embedded and hidden from view. The stand also contains one or more magnets embedded and hidden from view. The magnetic fields of the magnet or magnets in the floating candle holder are aligned with magnets in the stand by a mutual attraction. Movement of the magnets in the stand, which is accomplished with an electric motor, induces a movement of the candle holder as a result of the mutual attraction between the magnets. This device requires a source of electric power in order to function, a limitation that is removed in the current patent.

Another recent patent application (Ser. No. 12/626,457) by Tsan-Yao Chen disclosed an electronic system employing a candle as part of a switch to activate the device. The device comprises a candle receptacle, an electromechanical system for controlling a dynamic display, and one or more optical sensors. Lighting the candle triggers a signal from the optical sensor that is used to turn on the motor(s). This does not use the thermal energy of the candle to initiate movement, with such movement ending when the candle goes out.

Several devices are commercially available or historically available which utilize the thermal energy released by the candle itself to generate motion. Among these are the Christmas Pyramid and related devices, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,948. In these devices, wind produced by the candles causes rotation of a properly designed and oriented fan or fan-like blade. The rotation can be used to turn part or the entirety of the device. These devices rotate around pivot points or axles that stabilize the entire device. Once the candle burns out, the wind stops, as does the motion of the device. Similar devices may animate the candles themselves on the platform. These device do not utilize a liquid floating platform (for the reduction of friction) or a virtual magnetic axle (for stability in the liquid), as the present device does.

The present invention similarly utilizes the wind produced by a candle to induce motion. This motion is enabled on one or more platforms floating within containers filled or partially filled with water or another liquid. Each platform is stabilized utilizing a virtual axle created by two or more permanent magnets or magnet assemblies. The location of one magnet or magnet assembly is fixed relative to the container; it may be fixed to the bottom of the container. The magnets or magnet assemblies are arranged so as to generate an attraction which holds the floating platform in place while floating on liquid in the container. The magnet or magnet assemblies are designed so that rotation of one relative to the other does not change the magnitude or direction of the attraction. The axis of attraction defines the axis of the virtual axle. The wind generated by the candles is used to generate a rotation of the platform about the virtual axle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Summary and Abstract summarize some aspects of the present invention. Simplifications or omissions may have been made to avoid obscuring the purpose of the disclosure. These simplifications or omissions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for generating motion of active candles using the energy released by the combustion of at least one of the candle's fuel is disclosed. This apparatus comprises a tray capable of holding a quantity of water, a floating platform capable of holding candles, a device capable of redirecting the thermal wind of the candles and generating a momentum transfer to the platform, and two disc magnets. One magnet is operatively connected to the tray so that its magnetic axis is largely perpendicular to the surface of the quantity of water contained therein. The second magnet is operatively connected to or embedded within the floating platform so that its magnetic field is attracted by that of the magnet operatively connected to the bottom of the tray. The attraction of the two magnets generates an axis which anchors the floating platform to a specific location within the tray on the surface of the water. The platform is disposed within the pool of water held within the tray so that it can float freely around the magnetic axis. The candles are held by candle holders. At least one surface of the candle holder covers the candle and the exhaust of the candle impinges on this surface, inducing a momentum transfer. When candles are placed beneath these devices and ignited, the wind generated induces a motion of the tray around the virtual axle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for a floating candle platform utilizing a virtual magnetic axle and candle holders incorporating exhaust redirectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figure.

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the referenced embodiment is not necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments.

One objective of the invention is to create a novel apparatus capable of translating the thermal energy produced by the combustion of candle material into physical motion of part of the candle apparatus.

FIG. 1 shows a simplified view of an apparatus for translating the thermal energy produced by the combustion of candle material into physical motion of part of the apparatus, in accordance with one embodiment of the apparatus. In a preferred embodiment the candle locomotion apparatus comprises three principle components: a container (4) which may contain a quantity of water or other liquid (3), a floating platform (1) which is capable of freely floating within the container (4) without touching the sides of the container (4), and a plurality of candle holders (2) capable of holding candles and redirecting the airflow of heated air from a vertical flow to a partially horizontal flow.

In the preferred embodiment the container (4) has a magnet (6) attached to the bottom so as to align the magnetic axis largely perpendicular to the surface of water contained within the container. The platform has a second magnet (5) embedded or otherwise located within. The magnetic axis of the second magnet (5) is aligned so as to be attracted to the uppermost axis of the magnet (6) attached to the container (4). The two magnets define a virtual magnetic axle (7) around which motion of the floating candle mount (1) moves.

When the candles in the candle holders (2) are ignited, a thermally-generated wind is redirected to a partially horizontal flow. This generates a movement of the floating candle mount (1), generally inducing a rotation of the floating candle mount (1) around the axis provided by the magnetic fields of the first magnet (4) and the second magnet (5). 

What is claimed is:
 1. A floating candle platform comprising: A first part containing at least one partially closed cavity capable of holding a quantity of water or other liquid wherein said first part contains one or more magnets, one within each cavity operatively connected to the bottom of the cavity in such a way that the magnetic axis of each magnet is directed through the surface of the liquid in its containing cavity; a second floating part or parts which can freely float in the liquid contained within the partially closed cavity or cavities of the first part wherein each floating part is operatively connected to a magnet or magnet assembly or contains a magnet or magnet assembly whose magnetic axis is directed so as to be attracted to the magnet found within the cavity, generating a virtual axle between the pair of magnets or magnet assemblies; one or more structures operatively connected to said second part or parts designed to allow a candle to be placed beneath part of said structure or structures wherein when the candle is ignited a thermal wind is generated which impinges on said part of said structure or structures and is redirected to a partially horizontal flow so as to generate a horizontal impulse; wherein said floating part or parts may rotate around the virtual axle or axles holding it or them in place freely without a significant rotational torque being imparted by the magnets;
 2. The device described in claim 1 further comprising one or more decorative objects.
 3. The device described in claim 1 further comprising one or more active mechanical or electronic devices. 